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Tom Marais

Tom Marais

Cinematographer

Tom began his career as a cinematographer in the South African film and television industry straight out of film school in 2003. With 21 local indie films and 9 TV series behind him, his first international production was Hunter Killer (2018) with frequent collaborator and fellow South African writer/director/producer Donovan Marsh. Tom lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 23 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 26% in 30 days

What are Tom Marais' films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 24th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
42%
Bonds
28%
Self
25%
Power
5%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeForgiveness2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Thrilling
4
Melancholic
4
Romantic
3
Hopeful
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Tom Marais' films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Tom Marais' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

23 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • Bride of the Year(2026)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Semi-Soeter(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Blindelings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Cinematographer

  • iNumber Number: Jozi Gold(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Savage Beauty(2022)

    Show Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Reyka(2021)

    Show 16 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Professionals(2020)

    Show 5 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • Shaina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Cinematographer

  • Hunter Killer(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Stroomop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lucky Specials (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • My Father's War(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Mrs Right Guy(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ballade vir 'n Enkeling(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Hard to Get(2014)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Avenged(2013)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Traitors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • Wolwedans In Die Skemer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Cinematographer

  • Hoofmeisie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Skeem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer · as Everlast promo(voice)

  • Ek Joke Net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • Stargazer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • Bakgat! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 19 titles from 2008 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Ballade vir 'n Enkeling (2015)

$655K worldwide

Highest rated

Bride of the Year (2026)

Midcredits 24th

Most popular right now

Savage Beauty (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 19: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleCinematography19 of 19: 16 only cinematography, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thOther crew2 of 19: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

19 titles, 3 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s1 · crew2010s13 · 1 acting · 13 crew2020s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Tom Marais' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 12 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · cinematographer

Mrs Right Guy (2016)

92nd percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Ballade vir 'n Enkeling (2015)

Midcredits 91st · 84% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 72/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 75. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Tom Marais work with?

People who share at least 2 of Tom Marais' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Israel Matseke-Zulu shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers